My New Life
by tkdcutie
Summary: hermoine has changed everything about her for her 7th year, but does she need to change to catch the eye of a certain someone
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1:

            Another year begins, another set of adventures awaits, just beyond this barrier. The second I step through this wall another journey is ahead, and no matter where the twists and turns may lead me, I will stick my head up high and take them like a man…or a woman, depends on how you look at it. Deep breathe….breath in and out. I flipped my hair lightly over my shoulder and walked through the platform 9 and 3/4. Every time I walked through the wall I felt this rush of emotions, everything was coming back to me. The smell of the engine smoke billowing from the top of the scarlet machine. A joyous sensation pulsed through my body as I walked through the busy and bustling platform. My chocolate brown eyes searching over the heads of the familiar faces, looking for two in particular. 

            I spotted the flaming red hair from across the station, bobbing up and down. Her pigtails bobbed back and forth, up and down. Ginny. I knew where she was, Ron had to be somewhere close by. I made my way through the crowds of people, greeting each other back for another year at Hogwarts. I hadn't even reached Ginny yet before she spun around on her heels, with a gigantic smile stretched across her face. Over the years she had grown bigger, prettier, dismissing her freckles and odd expressions. 

            "Hermoine!" she squealed, filling the gap between us by running and jumping onto me like a monkey. I laughed as we swayed on spot, her weight about to knock me back before she jumped off and stood on front of me, straightening her skirt up again, still with the smile plastered on her cheeks. Her dimples lightened everything up, so it was like looking into the face of an angel. 

"Ginny! How are you, I haven't seen you since the end of last term!" I exclaimed, flipping my annoyingly straight hair behind my shoulder, and tucking the flyaways behind my ears. 

"It was great! I mean, Charlie took time off and spent the summer with us," she smiled, explaining everything with her hands vividly. I smiled at her, loving to see one of my best friends again. The summer had been lonely. I had spent the entire long months inside my muggle house, among the entire odd muggle world. Ever since I have been accepted as a witch, everything outside of the wizarding world seems odd, which sounds completely ridiculous. I spent most of the summer thinking. I had received my head girl letter early on, and I felt joy and sadness all at once. I was happy, my dream had finally come true, and all that hard work and studying had paid off majorly. But this just gave all the Slytherins and Malfoy in particular a new reason to tease and ridicule me. I wasn't looking forward to it at all, which made a flip side to the situation. 

"Hermoine!" a familiar voice shouted from behind me. I spun around, knowing exactly whom the voice belonged to. I held my arms out smiling furiously. 

"Harry! Ron!" I said as they both ran forward and jumped on my just as Ginny had done, but this time instead of wobbling slightly, I was knocked down to the ground along with Ron and Harry laying on top of me smiling like mad. They obviously were not aware that we were all lying on the cement ground of the platform, while people stepped around us, giving us odd looks. "It's nice to see you too!" I smiled. They both laughed and climbed off me, offering a hand to help me back to my feet. 

"Wow, Hermoine, you look, great!" Ron said, looking me up and down. That was another thing I pondered on the long vacation. I had decided, New Year, new person. I wanted people to notice me as more than just a book worm, and as a real person. Thus ending in my actually doing my hair, making it straight, and flow down my back and a little makeup as well. 

"Thank you, Ron," I replied, smiling. I had practiced my smile in the mirror for many nights, trying to perfect it. I had changed, I knew, and I could tell Harry and Ron knew it too. We stood in the platform, looking at each other in an uncomfortable silence. "Well, shall we?" I finally broke the awkward moment, gesturing towards the steaming engine. We all nodded, taking our seats in an empty compartment. Ginny followed in behind us, dragging her trunk behind her, but not exactly joining the group. She stood in the doorway, still gripping one end of the trunk, looking down the aisle. 

"You know what, I think I may go sit with some other friends for a while," she said, shutting the door, and the faint scrapping of her dragging the trunk down the hall. Ron shook his head. 

"You know, I have lived with that girl almost my entire life, and I still do not understand her," he muttered, more to himself to anyone else, but everyone heard it, and smiled to themselves silently. 

"So, what did you guys do over the summer vacation," I asked them thoughtfully, placing my hands intertwined within themselves in my lap like a lady. 

"Oh, Hermoine, I spent the entire summer at Ron's, and we had the best time! You really should have come, truly!" Harry beamed at me. 

"Harry, I told you, my parents wanted me home for the summer vacation this year. It will be our last one before I go out into the working world you know," I tried to reason, but ever since the beginning of the summer he didn't want to hear a word of it. 

"But Hermoine! Couldn't your parents understand that this is our last year at Hogwarts, we may never see each other after this!"

"Harry, we have the whole year to hang out, and I guarantee you I will keep in touch with you after the year ends, alright?" I reminded him. Harry crossed his arms and slumped down in his chair, silent in defeat. I smiled to myself, I had won the first battle of the year already, and we were only halfway through the train ride. 

Suddenly the door slid open. Outside stood none other than Neville Longbottom, looking quite out of breath, and was leaning against the door to regain his balance. 

"Neville, are you alright?" Harry questioned, starting to get up but Neville waved him off. 

"Her…herm…Hermoine!" he stated. He suddenly had my attention as I sat there impatiently tapping my foot trying to get him to continue. 

"Yes, yes Neville, what about me?" I questioned, growing more impatient by the second. 

"Hermoine, I was just walking down the hall, and… (heaving breath)…and…"

"Neville what is it!" I said more forcefully. Ron looked at me like there was something wrong with me. 

"Malfoy," Neville spit out finally. 

"Yes?" I calmed myself down a bit knowing that he was so horror struck by Malfoy, what else was new?

"Well, I was walking down the hall and he pushed me against the wall, demanding to know where you were," Neville started. He was regaining his breath more easily now. "I said I didn't know, but he pushed me up harder, claiming I was lying. He was very insistent on seeing you, and he had that smug look on his face. So I ran right up here, to warn you!"

"Why would Malfoy be so interested on seeing you Hermoine?" Ron asked, scrunching his nose at the sound of Malfoy's name.

"How on earth am I supposed to know Ron?" I said sarcastically. "Thank you Neville." I nodded to him and he left, shutting the door behind him. 

"Well, so of all the people on this train, he is looking for you?" Harry stated with a puzzled look on his face. 

"Why, what's wrong with that?" I questioned, I felt the steam inside me rising in anger. What was so wrong and surprising about someone looking for her out of everyone else? Was I that repulsive that no one would even ask of me?

"Hermoine, don't take it the wrong way," Ron pitched in, seeing Harry struggle to answer her back. 

"How am I supposed to take it then?" I said, rising from my seat, hands on hips, a threatening look covering my normally good disposition. 

"Hermoine, chill!" Ron said, throwing his hands up. I thought I was going to burst with anger. Even my two best friends in the world thought me to be repulsive. Even if it was the most conniving and evil being on this train that was looking for me, but what was so hard for them to believe it? My hands clenched into fists. I just couldn't stand it any longer. I stormed out of the compartment, slamming the door behind me. Charging down the aisle, ready to fling myself into the bathroom. I needed to calm myself down. I was getting worked up over nothing in particular, and it was making me even more frustrated. I felt frailer, more irritable. I couldn't explain the feeling; it just came over me when the slightest mean feeling came in. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

I rushed past the compartment doors, and didn't stop when I heard one I had just been passing slide open. 

"Granger!" I ignored him. I knew it was Malfoy, and I was definitely not in the mood of talking to him. "Granger!" he called again, I heard his irregular steps as he chased after me. 

"Sod off, Malfoy!" I stated threateningly. I didn't think it would really work, had it ever? He kept after me, until I felt his hand clasp around my wrist. 

"Hold it, Granger. I have been looking all over for you!" I could hear the smirk spreading across his face, and I hadn't even been looking at him. I spun around, facing him for the first time since last June. The second I looked straight into his eyes, I thought I saw a flicker happen inside them, making them softer and calmer, but then he shook his head and they turned back to their icy self. "Wow Granger, you look different, I'm surprised."

"Well, I am not interested in what surprises you," I said coldly. Nothing I said even changed the expression on his face as he stood there smirking, still holding firmly onto my wrist. I shook him free and turned to leave again. 

"Wait!" he yelled again. I turned around again, hands on hips, glaring at him. 

"What? Why do you want to see me so badly?!"

Malfoy looked taken aback, but regained his original composure. "Who ever said I _wanted_ to see you Granger?" he smirked more evilly, making my heart sink. I tried not to show my hurt, but he must have noticed because he looked triumphant. "All I needed to tell you is that McGonagall needs to see us in the head compartment."

"_Us_?" I questioned. 

"Yes, I said _us_, Granger," Malfoy said smugly. Why had I not thought of it before? Of course Malfoy would be head boy, why not? His father practically owned half the school or he would by the end of his life time. He could get whatever he wanted. 

"Why am I not surprised?" I said, pushing past him back up the way I had come, towards the head compartment in the front. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" I thought I detected half of a smile, but I couldn't be sure because he was trying to keep up behind me. 

"You know, exactly what it means," I shot back at him. 

He didn't say anything else, just walked behind me all the way to the front, and into the head compartment. Mcgonagall rose once we entered. Smiling warmly at me, but not so warmly at Malfoy. 

"Congratulations, to both of you for making head boy and girl, you have worked especially hard. Well, after the feast, while the prefects lead the houses to their common rooms, I will take the two of you to your private common room. The password is Kingswood. I think Dumbledor would like to speak to you about your duties after the feast as well," She smiled and patted me on the shoulder, mother like. "Congratulations, again." she swept out of the compartment as Malfoy made himself comfortable on the cushiony seats. They were more comfortable than the other ones were. I sat across from him, still uncomfortable in his presence. He placed his hands behind his head, and glared at me, smirking at the same time. It was odd, but it made me feel more uncomfortable. 

I crossed my legs back and forth, trying to keep myself from looking at him. But he knew I could resist but look at him. I couldn't help but notice that he had done some work over the summer holiday as well. He had more abs, more biceps, his hair hung loosely in his eyes, instead of slicked back in that shiny gel formula. He actually looked quite handsome, if he wasn't my worst sworn enemy. He had called me mudblood more times than I could have counted. 

"What's wrong Granger? Uncomfortable?" Malfoy sneered. I didn't answer him but stared out the window. "Well, you better get used to it. It looks like we will be sharing a common room the rest of the year."

I couldn't even imagine it, really. Sleeping a good twenty feet from this creep was going to be pure and utter torture. How could I survive? How could I ever? I shuddered at the thought of seeing Malfoy in his boxers in the early morning hours. I didn't know if I was shuddering in disgust, or if I was shuddering in pleasure, seeing his hot sleek body. I didn't want to think about the second one. I couldn't think about that. He was a slimy good for nothing, death eater's son, nothing more, nothing less. 

"Thinking about something, Granger?" Malfoy asked. 

"Leave me alone, Malfoy," I muttered. 

"Ok, well wake me when we get there," he said, closing his eyes and leaning back his head. I shook my head; I really can not imagine how both of us are going to be able to come out of the school year, both alive. I lay down on the bench, closing my eyes, planning only on taking a little rest, but drifted off into a restless sleep. 

***I know this chapter is kinda short, but oh well, the next one is kinda long. And I would really appreciate some reviews!!! It is my first fan fic so be nice. Jk I don't really care what you write, even if its bad. ill post again tomorrow I think! I hopes yalls like it!!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Granger!" a voice was yelling into my ear. "Granger, get your ass up!" my eyes flicked open, to see malfoy's face but a few inches from mine. He was looking straight at me. I was so shocked that I sat straight up, hitting him square in the nose with my head. Malfoy fell back to his bench clutching his nose in agony. "Jesus Granger! You broke my nose!"

I covered my mouth, feeling terrible. But then I realized whom I was feeling pity towards, and I removed my hand and smirked. "Oh Malfoy, get over it." I said, flipping my hair over my shoulder. 

"Forget it? forget it! I am bleeding you little mudblood!"

"Wow, he bleeds," I muttered shrilly. He gave me a dirty look, wiping the blood on the back of his hand. "Why were you standing over me anyways, Malfoy?" 

"Well, if you hadn't noticed, the train has stopped, and I thought you may want to change," he snarled. Suddenly I thought I felt some kind of softness coming from him. He could have let me sleep through everyone leaving, me lying there like an idiot, me the head girl and all. He could have held that over me the rest of the year. But he actually was thinking about me. he must have seen the look of puzzlement on my face because the softness quickly blew over. "No, Granger. I was not thinking about your welfare. We need to make a grand entrance, and we cant if your in here sleeping like a baby. whatever you do reflects on me now, so you better straighten up!"

"Sure Malfoy. Why cant you admit for just once that you were actually being nice?" I asked, crossing my legs. 

"Nice? Nice?!" he bellowed, jumping to his feet. he had removed his hand and the blood was trickling from his nose, and bloody fingerprints covered his chin and hands. He pointed his finger at me threateningly. "I was not being nice, I am far from being nice to some filthy little mudblood like you, granger. Especially to ones that hurt me!"

I stood up, right in front of him. i pushed myself up against his chest, with menacing daggers shooting from my pupils. i cocked my arm  back and slapped him right across the face as hard as I could. God did that feel good I said to myself in my head. I clapped his other hand onto his cheek where I had struck him. 

"Malfoy, you have no idea how much you hurt everyone else. so before you start accusing me of being a dirty blood who hurts you, then maybe you should try looking at your insults from a different perspective!" I screamed into his face. He didn't flinch a second, but had this odd look I had never seen on his face. I stomped out of the compartment, towards harry and rons. I needed to get my robes, and I just couldn't stand Malfoy and his insults any longer. 

The feast and everything else went just as usual. Goblets filled to the brim with pumpkin juice, foods of every kind littering the plates. dumbledor and the other teachers chewing happily at the front table. The feast was winding down, and dumbledor stood to make an announcement. The room fell silent as all eyes were diverted to his sparkling eyes. 

"I hope you all have a pleasant year, and your school prefects will lead you all to your houses, goodnight everyone!" he said, sitting back down. He nodded for me and Malfoy to come and see him. I got up from my spot next to Harry and Ron. 

"hermoine, where are you going?" Ron questioned, as he saw me walking in the opposite direction. 

"Ron, I'm Head Girl, I have duties!" I retorted. 

"Fine Hermoine," Ron said. already he was annoying me, and we had been here a day. 

"Wait," Harry turned back around, "whos the Head Boy?"

I put a smirk on my face, and cocked my head to the side. I knew this would throw them off, because me spending the next year with Malfoy across the hall would really tick them off. "Malfoy."

"Malfoy? You mean _Draco_ Malfoy?" Ron said. 

"Do you know many other Malfoys, Ron?" I asked. 

"Hermoine! You cant spend the rest of the year with Malfoy, who knows what he will try to do."

"Somehow I think I will manage," I lied. Truthfully I had no clue how I was going to manage. I turned and headed towards dumbledor. Malfoy was already there, leaning up against the table looking smug. He had cleaned himself up because there wasn't a single trace of blood on him. 

"Well, Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy, you are now head girl and boy. you have new responisibilties now. you must look after the prefects, and may be asked to coordinate certain events. You may also be doing some things for me occasionally," Dumbledor smiled. I smiled back, but Malfoy just smirked dumbly. "Professor McGonagall, would you escort them to their room?"

mcgonagall nodded and lead us up through the halls of the school. I felt at home as I passed by my familiar classrooms, and familiar paintings. We passed the stairwell to the gryffindor tower, and arrived at another set of stairs. I had never gone up them before, but we stopped in a dead end at the end of the hall. There was a painting of a little girl. She was wearing a wedding dress, complete with vail and all. She smiled when we approached. 

"Good, new Head girl and boy?" she asked excitedly. Mcgonagall nodded, waved, and disappeared down the stairs yet again. 

there I was standing there next to Malfoy, staring at the girl. "Well, password?" the girl asked. 

"Do you remember the password?" Malfoy whispered to me. 

"Honestly, Malfoy, you have been head boy just a few hours and already you are failing the duties!" I burst. "Kingswood."

The door flung open, revealing our common room. it was spectacualar. The comfortable lookinf sofas and armchairs were maroon, with silver metal buttons on the arms. there were paintings of all the previous head boys and girls all along the wall, smiling. I couldn't help but notice the one of Percy was smiling extra wide. I laughed to myself and continued around. The fireplace was made of marble, with a bear skin rug on the floor in front of it. a ceiling tall bookshelf raised about twenty feet in the air. a long giant ladder looked pretty rickety, but stable enough. One each side of the common room was a door, and one door on the back wall. 

The door to the left read, Hermoine Granger, and had a picture of me on the front. The one on the left had Malfoy's name and a picture. I guessed the back wall was the bathroom, but I would check it out later. I sprinted into my room, which was done in maroon and gold colors. The bed was a king size, and had a spectacular view. it was all so beautiful. I couldn't help but smile at myself and do a little dance around the room in excitement. I ran out of the room, and ran right into Malfoy. Oh great, he had to spoil my happy moment. Im sure he had many more moments he would spoil through the year, so I should probably get used to it. 

"Watch it, Granger! The room not big enough for ya or something?" he said putting his hands on his hips. 

I stepped back, putting my own hands on my hips. "Look Malfoy. If we are going to be this close all the time, then we better establish that you leave me alone, and I will leave you alone. We stay out of each others way, and everything will go fine. Alright?"

"Fine by me Granger. I don't want to be around you all the time anyway."

"Good, well that makes two of us."

"You know, this conversation is really interesting and all, but I am tired, and I am going to bed. So Goodnight," he smirked. I glanced into his big blue gray pools, and they glistened back at me, filled with hatred. I turned and threw myself onto my bed happily. Could this get any better? Well, it could get worse. Imagine how much fun Malfoy will have torturing me twenty four seven. Well, I guess nothing can be perfect. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

The next day, the first day of classes. Just what I had been looking forward to, class with Snape, and the Slytherins. I went to the gryffindor tower first thing so I could walk with ron and harry to the class. Just because we were in different rooms didn't mean I could meet up with them. They were talking between each other about something Neville had done. I was completely out of the conversation as I trudged behind them, with my books and such tucked under my arm. Suddenly I felt the parchments and books slip from my grasp and they flew all over the floor. The rolls rolled across the hall, as people stepped on my homework in the process. My ink bottle shattered as it hit the stones. But harry and ron didn't even turn around, so engrossed in the conversation. 

I looked around, seeing the group of slytherins snickering behind me. crabbe, goyle, pansy Parkinson, milicent, and of course Malfoy. 

"Malfoy! Look what you've done, my homework, and all my ink is gone!" I screamed at him. Malfoy waved his hand, and all of his posse broke up and headed into class, leaving it to just me and Malfoy. I huffed a big puff of air and started crawling all over the floor, gathering my parchment and books. I would have to borrow some ink from harry or ron later, because I obviously didn't have any anymore. I crawled across the hall towards the farthest piece of parchment. it had a footprint on the top, planted firmly. I reached out to grab it, but someone had already grabbed it just above my hand. I sat up on my knees as Malfoy handed me the parchment. I took it and tucked it under my arm. I stood up as he stood there glaring at me. the hall was completely empty, and I was starting to panic. Was I late? But then I suddenly caught sight of something Malfoy was holding in his hand. he was holding a bottle of black ink in his palm. I took it and looked at it in my hand. I figured it was some joke from Zonkos Joke Shop or something. Like it would squirt ink at me when I opened it or something, Malfoy must have been reading my mind. 

"Don't worry, its real ink, I promise," he said. 

"Why? Why are you giving this to me?" I asked, stunned still. Never had Malfoy ever been generous enough to give anyone anything of his, other than an insult. 

"I just dotn want you going all blubbery on me. why granger, you don't want it?"

"No, I do," I corrected him. I actually felt a smile on my face. Never had I ever been smiling in Malfoys presence. "You know, why do you act so tough and mean around those guys anyway? I mean, is your mean and evil reputation so important to you?" his face straightened up suddenly, to his usual cold look. 

"Granger, that is something you would never understand, so just get over it, alright?" he glared at me, and I suddenlt remembered that class had started already. 

"Oh my god, were late!" I screeched, pushing past him, and bursting into the classroom, with Malfoy right behind me. 

snape stood at the front of the classroom, already lecturing about something or other. his gaze snapped to us as we entered. "Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy, nice of you to join us!" Snape hollored. The class turned and stared at us. I started to walk towards the seat that harry and ron had saved me between them in the back row, as Malfoy did the same. 

"Both of our head boy and girl tardy on the first day of class, very bad example. Ten points from each house, and you both will stay after for detention tonight. Seven o'clock sharp." Snape had a look of triumph on his face. 

"Professor Snape, it wasn't my fault!" I pleaded. 

"Weeks detention Granger!" he shouted, turning back to the blackboard and continuing to scribble endlessly on it. I sat quietly in my chair, my arms crossed, defeated. 

"Hermoine, why were you late with Malfoy?" Ron hissed at her. 

"None of your business ron!" I snarled back. This just has not been my day so far, I thought to myself. 

That night after supper I went down to the dungeons. I hugged my arms around myself tightly, the cold making my hairs stand on end. As I walked into Snapes room, Malfoy was already there, sitting on the desk smugly. Once I walked in Snape swooped from his desk and stood menacingly in front of us. 

"Well, for the next week in Grangers case you will be cleaning out my supply closets. There are seven for each year, you know. I want them spick and span. Also, I want my ingredients alphabetized. Goodnight," he said, fleeing the room, leaving us to our long hours of cleaning, but not before snatching our wands from us.  I stepped forward and opened the rusty door. I thought I was going to scream. Inside were dried ingredients splattering the floor, cobwebs like curtains, layers of dust, broken bottles, and the cluttered intact bottles littering the dusty shelves. We sure had our work cut out for us. I grabbed the broom and handed it to Malfoy. 

"Here," I said, shoving it into his chest. 

"What the attitude for, Granger?"

"It is your fault I am here right now. if you wouldn't have made me chase after my supplies then I would have been on time!" I spat, grabbing a bucket and filling it with warm soapy water. 

"Well Granger, you don't have to be all mean about it. you could have managed to get here on time if you hadn't have been staring at me for so long."

"What are you talking about Malfoy?" I grumbled as I sloshed the liquid over the dried potions stains. 

"You don't have to hide it anymore, Granger. I know you cant keep your eyes off of me. if you wouldn't have been oogling me, then you could have been on time."

"What makes you think I like you anyway?" I questioned harshly. 

"All the girls do, and you're a girl, so you must too I suppose."

"Well, Malfoy. As usual, you are way wrong. I will never like you. So just get over yourself and clean."

An hour had passed, then two. I had just barely managed to finish alphabetizing the glass bottles, filled with different ingredients when I heard a smash, then the clinking of breaking glass. I jumped up and out of the closet. Malfoy was standing by the sink, his hand sup in the air. on the ground was a warm red liquid, and glass shards, with the broom lying next to the mess. 

"Malfoy, what are you doing out here?!" I demanded. 

"Nothing."

"Look at this mess!" I cried. Slowly I saw as the liquid started to eat away at the stone. It must have been some powerful liquid. "Malfoy, look what you've done, we are really going to get it now!"

"Look, Granger, it wasn't my fault. I set the broom down, and it fell over knocking the glass over, alright? So would you stop saying everything is my fault?!"

"It always is your fault!" I spat back. 

"You little mudblood, don't ever yell at me again!"

"Or what, you'll call your father on me?" I questioned. 

His face was growing more and more twisted as his anger was rising inside him, I could see it. 

"Granger, you have no idea what you are talking about! If I were some mudblood, I wouldn't be insulting other people, when I am a nuisance myself!" he bellowed at me as he stormed out the door, his robes blowing behind him. 

"Malfoy! What about our cleaning?!" I screamed. 

"Do it yourself!" he yelled back. I looked around at the glass. Well, he was gone, so I pulled out my wand. I had to really thank Weasleys Fake Wands, which I had given Snape instead of my wand. I muttered words and the glass and mess was magically fixed. I stuffed the wand back into my robes  and headed for the door. It burst open. I thought Malfoy has finally come to his senses and is back, but it was Snape. 

"Where is Mr. Malfoy?" Snape questioned. 

"He left."

"Left? Well I will be speaking with him later," he handed me my wand and I ran out the door and towards our common room. I didn't know why, but I needed to talk to him. I needed to make him feel better. I hadn't really meant to insult him like that. I had never seen him blow up like that, and something must have really affected him greatly. Once I reached the picture I muttered the password and flung myself into the common room. I saw Malfoy sitting on the couch, hands crossed, and the fire blazing. 

"Malfoy?" I asked, creeping up behind him. he didn't budge. 

"Go away Granger."

"Look, I'm really sorry, I am…"

he jumped off the couch and swung around so he was facing me, but a foot away. 

"Sorry? Your not sorry! How could you be sorry?!"

"I _am_ sorry!" I said back. He waved it away, like it was nothing. I had never appoligized to Malfoy before, and I could tell this would be the first and last time. 

"You couldn't be sorry, Granger. You should be sorry for yourself if for anyone. you are a disgrace to the wizarding world. How can you sleep at night knowing this? how can you even show your face here, knowing you're a dirty little mudblood? You are worthless! If I were you, I would kill myself before ever coming back here, no one wants you. Potter, weasley, they just want your homework to copy off of. All you will ever be good for is your brains. So, Granger, why don't you go back to where you belong?!" he shouted. His face was contorted in anger. 

I felt tears building up inside of me. and before I knew it they were gushing out like Niagara falls. Tears streamed down my face as I turned and ran into my room, slamming the door shut behind me. I laid on my bed, my face in the pillow, crying my eyes out. why had this hurt me so much? Malfoy cursed me such all the time, but why the difference now? but for some reason what he had said really had hurt me. I was lost. I didn't know what to do. I fell asleep with tears stains on my cheek, and my pillow soaked with the wetness. I dreamt of rainbows, and a giant cloud at the end. A handsome figure was sitting there, topless. His blonde hair was falling into his eyes gracefully. I took a better look, shocked to see….Malfoy. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

~Draco's POV~

I lay in bed, thinking. I had been laying there for god knows how long, just running things through my head. It had to have been a couple of hours, because it had been quite a long time. I just could not sleep after what happened earlier in the evening, in the common room. 

Why had I said that? Why had I done that? It wasn't her fault I was mad. I don't even know why I had gotten so angry. It didn't make any since; it was like a natural reaction, me always getting blamed for everything, like at home. But now since it was not my father accusing, I could lash out as much as I wanted to. Little did I realize whom I was lashing out on. It is my entire fault. Wait, why do I care so much about what granger is feeling? I mean, she is the enemy. She is the kind of person I am _supposed_ to be yelling at, out of everyone. I mean, if it were Blaise, or anyone in the Slytherin house, then maybe I should feel a little bad, but not much. But this is Granger that I am losing precious sleep over. She is definitely not worth a second of my thoughts, yet I have been spending the last few hours thinking of nothing but her. 

She is a mudblood. I need to keep telling myself that. Mudbloods are bad. Mudbloods are the enemy. But why? Why are they so bad? Why am I any better than Granger, when she has way better grades then I will ever be able to have? Truthfully, she is better than me, when you think about it. So why have I been taught that the Mudbloods are so inferior? I am just so confused. What am I supposed to do?

The only thing I could think about was the look on her face. The look of hatred, sadness, and pain all rolled into one. The look she gave me before she burst into tears and fled the room. The second I spit that last word out, I regretted it. The image of her pained face will haunt my dreams forever, I know it. Especially now that she hates me, well if she didn't hate me before that is. But she has always hated me, so what's the difference? Yes, that's it. I do this kind of thing to her all of the time; I have been for the past six years. She already hated me, now she just has another reason, it's not like anything I said really affected her that much. I'm sure she's run off crying over what I've said before; I just am being such an arrogant prick I don't stick around to see. 

I rolled over in bed, looking at the wall. I had figured it all out, but I still couldn't get her face out of my head. I needed to apologize to her. Tomorrow I would apologize. I closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep, but still the sleep never came. 

~Hermoines POV~

Last night I cried myself to sleep. I don't know why I had taken everything so offensively. I just had. I don't know, if I wasn't mistaken I had thought we had been acting somewhat civilized towards each other until he stormed out and everything. I had started to think that there was some good in him after all, but boy did he prove me wrong. I woke this morning, my eyes completely swollen. I tried to use as much makeup as I could manage, but I still couldn't get the puffiness and redness to go away. 

I went down to breakfast, and took my spot in between Ron and Harry. I didn't say anything but immediately started to shovel food into my mouth. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible, to avoid any questions regarding my delicate and fragile state. There was a very thin and taught anger line inside me, and I was sure anything would set me off. I thought I was doing a rather well job of hiding it, until I felt eyes peering into me. I couldn't tell who was watching me, but it could have been anyone. So I glanced up from my plate, and saw it wasn't Harry or Ron, as I had thought. It was Malfoy staring at me from across the great hall. He had his fork firmly in his hand, and was looking at me. Not with a glare mind you, but with a concerned look, a look I don't think I have ever seen on his face. 

"Hey, Hermoine. Sleep well?" Harry said, finally noticing my existence. I tried to swallow my food, and tried not to burst out crying as soon as I opened my mouth. 

"Alright I suppose," I managed. 

"I guess you can't sleep too well knowing that Malfoy is across the hall, can you?" Ron said, shoving a mouthful of pancakes into his mouth. 

"You have no idea," I said quietly, trying not to draw very much attention to the subject. "So, which class do we have now, I forgot to look?" I was really trying to get away from the subject. 

"Oh, Transfiguration. Then later Care of Magical Creatures," Harry answered, not even paying me much attention, or else he would have noticed that I was trying hard not to cry, and my eyes were completely red and puffy. Finally Harry looked over and noticed I was shoveling food in about three forkfuls a second. "Wow, Hermoine, what's the rush?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to get to class early, to avoid another weeks worth of detention," I lied. 

"Speaking of detention how was that? I've served detention with Malfoy before, and it was complete torcher," Harry responded. This was not the conversation I had planned out. 

"Oh," I tried to choke back my tears, trying not to make it to evident. "I just avoided him pretty much."

Ron looked up at me, wanting more details, but caught sight of something I was hoping to go scot free with. "Hermoine! What's the matter!" he asked, dropping his fork stacked with pancakes. I tried to look down to hide my face, but he had already seen. 

"Nothing, I better be going," I said, making the motion to stand up, but they both took a grip on my shoulders shoving me back into my seat. 

"Hermoine, it's not, 'nothing'," Ron said. I didn't like how this was going. "What is the matter? We're your friends, you can tell us."

"Yeah, Hermoine, whatever it is, you can tell us anything," Harry tried to reassure me. But I didn't want them to know the awful things he had said. I knew how they would react. They would go threaten him, and someone from either party would end up in the hospital wing. 

"Look, I'm fine, ok?" I said, firmly.

"No, your not!" Ron shouted, making a few people at the table, and at the surrounding tables turn and look. I felt extremely uncomfortable sitting here, eyes watching me. "Hermoine, I have never seen you like this before, there is something wrong!"

This was it, the thin line had snapped in two. I jumped up from my seat and towered over Ron for once. "Look Ron, when I say I'm fine, then I'm fine! Stop pestering me, and leave me alone!" I screamed, making the entire hall look at me as I stormed out of the great hall, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't help it. I couldn't take it any longer. I ran right out and into the bathroom. I stayed there, in one of the stalls, sitting on the toilet. I cried again, everything is so screwed up, and we were only into the second day of school. 

I had been there about five minutes, when I heard a knock on the door of the stall. I stopped crying for a few seconds. "Harry, Ron, go away!" I screamed at the door. I didn't hear the door open or close, so they were still here. "I said, go away, both of you!" 

"Its not Harry or Ron," a voice said from the other side. I recognized the voice, but my mind was too jumbled to put a name on it. I looked under the door, and saw that there was only one pair of feet there, so it wasn't Harry or Ron. But they weren't making any attempt to go away either. 

"I don't care who you are. Leave me alone," I muttered. 

"Hermoine, please open the door."

"What for?" I spat. 

"Just…please…I need to talk to you." The voice was pleading. I thought, well I might as well see who it was. So I got up, unlocked it, and opened the door. The second I saw who it was I tried to slam the door back into his face again. But he stopped me from closing the door and pushed it back open. "Wait, please!"

"Go away, Malfoy! You are the last person I want to see right now!" I screamed at him. I felt my tears flowing again, uncontrollably. 

"Look, Granger, I wanted to tell you something," he snapped, putting his hands on his hips snottily. 

"Don't you think you said enough last night?"

"No, I need to say something to you."

"Don't even waist your breath, because I don't want to hear it."

I pushed past him and out of the bathroom, leaving him there. I didn't want to hear anything he had to say, no matter what he was going to say. Nothing good was ever going to come out of his mouth. So why bother even listening for it?

It was good I got out then, because I walked into Transfiguration just before class was to start. I didn't even want to look at Harry or Ron, so I took a seat next to Hannah Abbot. When she opened her mouth to say something, I already knew she was going to ask about the scene earlier, so I held my hand up. She closed her mouth again, and I sat through the rest of class in a bad temper. I went to Care of Magical Creatures all by myself, and sat with a Ravenclaw girl, who I didn't know, but it was better than sitting by myself. 

Harry and Ron didn't even try to talk to me all day, which was probably for the better. I'm sure I would have just bitten their heads off anyway. I guess they know me well enough to ride it out with me. But then I remembered, I have another long night of detention tonight. At least this time it's all by myself, instead of with that git Malfoy. 

After dinner, I went to the dungeons. Once I stepped into Snape's office, the chill of the night air made the hair on my arm and neck stand on end, and little goose bumps sprout on my skin. I hugged myself as I slid down the wall, trying to cover as much of my legs with my skirt as possible. I had the idea of running up to the common room for my cloak, but would have been late by doing so. Suddenly the door opened, I thought I was Snape, so I quickly tried pulling myself to my feet again. But fell back down against the cold stone floor when I saw who it really was. 

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?!" I said astonished to see him here. He was wearing a big cloak around his shoulders, and looked extremely smug. 

"Well, Snape assigned me detentions the rest of the week, for ditching yesterday, so here I am," he said, waving his arm in the air. I gave him a death glare, and hugged my knees to my chest. Well, I have the rest of the week's detention with Malfoy. That's a whole two more days, and I won't be able to live with it, I know it. At least my detentions will be over, but him being here makes them seem so much longer. 

"Cold, Granger?" he smirked. I turned away from him, not wanting to look at his face. "You know, you should learn, it gets quite cold in the dungeons. I know, considering I lived down here for six years. Maybe next time you'll be smart enough to bring your own cloak wont you?" 

"You know, I am not in the mood for your shrewd comments at the moment, so just go sit over there and be quiet," I waved him off just as Snape swept in. I stood up as he swiped our wands away, assigning us the same duty from yesterday. We still were given the task of cleaning out his enormously gross and disgusting closets. This was going to be a long task, because we had only gotten through two out of seven yesterday. 

"You can start on the bottle organizing, if you can handle that," I spat at him, pointing to the untidy shelves. 

"Then what are you going to do?" 

"I'll start trying to sweep away the cobwebs, and try and scrub away this potion spill on the floor," I said, grabbing a bucket and a rag. We sat there, organizing and scrubbing away. We had been there maybe an hour, not saying a thing to each other. We were completely silent to each other, just trying to get the task done as fast as possible. 

I thought we were making the best out of the situation. Really, we were standing each others company, wanted or not, and we hadn't started bickering or arguing yet. But I still wanted him to leave. I had finished with the spill on the floor, when I started on the one that was on the top of one of the taller shelves. Malfoy was on the ladder, a couple shelves above me labeling and organizing. I set the bucket on the shelf and started to scrub away at the unknown potion. All of a sudden I felt something tickling my hand. I thought it was just the rag or something, but it was moving around on my hand as I scrubbed at something above my head, that I couldn't see. I pulled my hand out, and started screaming at the top of my lungs at what was resting on the back of my hand. A giant tarantula looking spider was sitting there, with its fangs sticking out. Malfoy jumped off the ladder at my screaming. I started thrashing about, and waving my arms around, trying to shake it off. I didn't know if it was really gone or not, but I still continued to scream and wave about. Malfoy ran up to me, wondering what the commotion was all about. 

I was running over so fast he slipped on the wet and soapy area I had just been scrubbing on the floor. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as he slid past me and hit the shelves I had been scrubbing. Before I could react, I felt the cold wetness wash all over me. The bucket of water sitting on the shelf had fallen off and spilled all over both of us. I stopped screaming, and fell to my knees, completely drenched. Malfoy sat up, and I saw he was drenched as well. 

"Why the bloody hell were you screaming?!" he demanded. 

"There was this giant spider, and I think it bit me, on my hand," I said panicked. He scooted over towards me and took my hand. He held it in his, inspecting it. 

"It looks like it did bite you. I guess you can go to hospital wing to get it properly inspected when we're through with detention," he said, throwing my hand back at me, and standing up disgusted. "Girls." He muttered, resuming his position at the top of the ladder. I didn't know what to do now. I was wet to the bone, in the dungeon, and the whole closet was wet. Well, it would dry eventually. I filled the bucket back up with water, and continued to scrub the shelf, watchful of unwanted creatures. 

I felt my body shivering, ice cold. I could see my breath in front of me, and my hands could barely move anymore. I felt frozen, my blood was ice. My lungs felt raspy, and I was having a hard time breathing. I fell back to the wall, and slid down, too frozen to do anything. Apparently getting water poured all over I wasn't exactly the good thing to do when it was this cold down here. My teeth chattered, and I trembled with cold. I didn't know what to do. 

I saw Draco climb down from his ladder and lean down in front of me. 

"Granger?" he asked. "You alright?" he looked a little worried, sitting there in front of me. 

"I'm so cold, I can hardly move," I managed to whisper. I saw his coat slip off of him and wrap around me. It felt so warm around me. It was hard to believe something this warm could come from someone so cold. He put his palm on my cheek. 

"You are ice cold, Granger," he commented, removing his hand. But I wished he would have put it back. It felt so warm and good against my ice cold cheeks. "Here, I'm sure sitting in a puddle of water isn't helping much."

I felt myself being lifted off the floor, and being set on one of the desks outside of the closet. Malfoy pulled his cloak tighter around me, and I felt warmer. He put both of his hands on my cheeks, and I felt immediate warmth pulse through my body. I wanted to pull him to me and use up all of his warmth, because he seemed to have so much of it, but I resisted. 

"There," he said triumphantly. "You sit here, and I'll go back and clean."

"But, you can't do it all by yourself."

"I'll manage," he stated. He disappeared into the closet, and I sat there, staring at his figure moving about inside the small room. I was getting warmer as I tugged the cloak around me. I was definitely remembering to bring my cloak tomorrow, in case of falling buckets of ice cold water. I had been there about fifteen minutes, and was feeling pretty much back to normal. I got up and walked over to the closet. The candles were flickering inside, making the gray in his eyes glisten. 

"Here's your cloak back, you must be freezing," I said, holding his cloak out for him. He turned towards me, but didn't make an attempt to take the cloak. 

"Keep it. I'm used to the cold, being down here so long. Plus, father used to make me sleep in the cellar when he was upset with me. I'll live."

I felt a sudden pain of guilt for him. "Your father made you sleep in the cellar?" he looked away, blushing a bit. I could tell he hadn't meant to say that exactly. So I didn't speak of it anymore. He turned back to the shelves, and started to arbitrarily switch bottles around. "You know, we have been here over two hours, don't you think you should take a little bit of a break?"

"Well, no actually, we still have a lot left to do, and Snape should be here in like a half hour."

I pulled my wand out and muttered a cleaning charm. Everything went clean, and all the bottles rattled as they all arranged themselves in the right order. 

"Where did you get that?" he demanded. 

"Oh, I gave Snape one of the Weasley fake wands. That's how I managed to clean up that mess yesterday before Snape walked in," I smirked. 

"Then I guess I could take a little bit of a break," he said, pushing past me at the door and sitting on top of one of the desks, and stretching out. I went and pulled out a chair and sat down in it. There was a very uncomfortable silence, where you could drop a needle and they would have heard it all the way in America. I decided to break the silence. 

"You sure you don't want your cloak back?" 

"Granger, are you deaf? I said I didn't want it," he snapped. 

"Well sorry. I was just trying to be nice, you don't have to bite my head off or anything," I said, crossing my arms across my chest. 

"If you would just listen in the first place, then we wouldn't have to argue all the time!"

"No, the reason we have to argue all the time is you and your rude comments!"

"Well, you wouldn't be on the receiving end of those comments if you would just mind your own business and keep your smart alleck remarks to yourself!"

"Malfoy look!" I yelled at him. "You hate me, I hate you. So why don't we just leave it at that and get all the arguing and disputes out of the way?"

"I never said I hated you," he said back immediately. I was about to open my mouth, but shut it after hearing that. I thought it was another insult, but when it had processed, I realized what he had said. 

"What do you mean you don't hate me?"

"Do I need to spell it for you Granger?"

"Malfoy, I am not in the mood to be screwed with at the moment, so stop messing with me!"

"I'm not messing with you. I don't hate you, I have never really hated you."

"Well you have a funny way of showing it."

He smiled. Not his smirk, but I thought I recognized a real smile underneath it. It made his face light up, and I liked how he looked much better. 

"I always had to, that's what my father expects of me. I didn't want to ruin my family's reputation. I have to act a certain way around other people, you know, to uphold the Malfoy name. I have to show my worth, so I can be accepted."

"Accepted?" I asked. I didn't even know why I had asked, I already knew the answer. But he looked away, not wanting to answer. So I answered it myself. "You mean accepted by Voldemort?" he still wouldn't look at me. He scared me right then. He was the son of a death eater. He was a servant of the dark lord. But a burning question plagued me. I just couldn't hold it in, now that we were actually having a civil conversation, for once. "Are you going to be a death eater?"

He looked up at me, his eyes cold as ice, yet warm and inviting at the same time. "I don't really have a choice. My father expects it of me. Voldemort expects it of me."

"I guess that wasn't the right question. Do you want to be a death eater?" this one took him a little longer to answer to. But he finally looked up again and spoke. 

"No." that was what I wanted to hear. He really wasn't as evil as I thought he had been. He really did have a softer side. Even if he was only showing it now in the middle of the night, when he was obviously groggy. Surely tomorrow he will go back to cursing me. But I didn't care. I still could not believe he just told me what he had. He has never hated me. How is that possible? He has always acted like it. But I guess looks can be deceiving. Anyone can act different if they want to. Look at our entire defense against the dark arts teachers. They could all pretend pretty darn well to be someone else. 

Suddenly the door burst open and Snape strode in. looking as greasy and slimy as usual. "Why are you not working? I am guessing you aren't done yet," I said. 

"Just taking a break professor. We were rather cold, and figured you would be back pretty soon anyway."

"Likely Mr. Malfoy." He handed over the wands and shooed us out of the room. We walked back up to the common room in silence. We said the password and entered through the little girl in the painting. We stopped in the common room, and I handed over his cloak. 

"Thanks," I said. He took it in his hands and looked down at it. Then something came to mind. I remembered that he had wanted to talk to me before. I suddenly wanted to know what he was so persistent to talk about. He was just about to turn and go to his perspective corner of the common room when I stopped him. "Malfoy, you wanted to tell me something earlier, didn't you?" he stopped and turned back around. 

"Yeah, yeah I did," he replied, scratching the back of his head, and looking everywhere but where I was. I could tell what he wanted to say, wasn't going to come easily. "I guess, I just wanted to say…"

"Yes?"

"Imsorryforwhatisaid," he kind of slurred all together. 

"What?"

He took a deep breath before answering again. "I am sorry for what I said last night. I was just really angry, and I took it out on you, and I'm sorry."

I smiled happily. "Apology accepted," I smiled and turned towards my room. 

"Good night Hermoine."

"Good night Draco."

Ok I know that was a real long chapter, but oh well! Please review please!!

~Taylor~


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The next night of detention wasn't so bad either. We both remained civil towards each other long enough to get through the three hours of cleaning. I even remembered my cloak this time. The same counted for the next week. We never really spent much time with each other, just in the common room and such. We were able to keep the personal insults to a minimal, and in return got to sleep much nicer. Often times we would do our homework together, or just sit in the green and maroon sofas reading a book. We would help each other out on homework, helping in each others weak points. It felt good not to have a total enemy anymore. 

But, it wasn't as perfect as it seems. He still acted snotty and jerky around his friends. Which I understand, because he has a rep to hold up. But it hurts me even more now than it did before, because I know how he truly is now. I know what kinds of things he feels, and the kinds of things that he thinks, and vise versa. But when I see that ugly smirk or glare, my heart sinks a few inches, because I know he could be better, if he would just try. 

Tonight was a similar night. We had been in school almost two weeks, and I was sitting on the couch with my legs tucked underneath me. Draco was at the table doing his Arithmacy homework, which I had finished ages ago. He asked if he could copy mine, but I told him I never let people copy, not even Harry or Ron. I was already halfway through Hogwarts: A History, again. I had read it at least ten times, but it had always been my favorite. 

"Done!" Draco announced triumphantly, slamming his Arithmacy book shut and striding over to the sofa across from mine. He slumped down and rested his head on the arm rest, rubbing his eyes. "I don't know how you can do that so easily. That subject is the most grueling and nasty subject that has ever been invented."

"Its quite easy actually, you just have to understand it. Plus, I have been taking it far longer than you, I did the stuff we're learning ages ago," he nodded and stared up at the ceiling. I looked over my book at him. He looked so peaceful and calm when he wasn't stalking down the hall, picking on innocent little first years. "Draco?"

"Hm?"

"I was just wondering, why do you do all those mean things to people. You know, call them names, and pick on them. Wouldn't Pansy and all those other people understand if you said it was all stupid and stopped?"

He chuckled to himself. "That is an area where you can't possibly understand what could come out of it."

"I could too understand, explain it to me," I demanded. He smiled, looking at me like a little child, who was too immature to understand the simplest of things. 

"Look, I have to maintain the Malfoy name. It's just that simple."

"But why? Why can't you make a new Malfoy name? Why do you have to follow in your fathers footsteps?"

He sat up in his chair and filled his hands with his face. "Hermoine, I have to follow my father. I have to become a death eater. You just don't understand. I have to, I don't have a choice."

"That's just it, you do have a choice. You can choose what you do with your life; your father can't choose that for you. You could do so many things if you would just stand up to the system!" I cried. I didn't know why I was getting all worked up over this. It was just that he could really be great if he wouldn't join the dark lord. He could do great things. But he would never go anywhere when being puppeted around by his father. 

"Hermoine!" he stood up, pacing around the floor, his hands on the sides of his head. He turned and faced me, pleading and sadness written all over his face. This was not an easy subject for him. "Maybe you don't seem to understand, but if I were to just say, 'I don't want to be a Malfoy anymore', then you have no idea what I would be giving up!"

"I know what you will be giving up if you don't," I said, plainly and calmly to him. Draco's face softened a bit, and walked over and sat next to me on the sofa. 

"Hermoine," he said quietly. "Voldemort is powerful. I would be killed sooner or later if I gave up the dark mark, you know that."

"You will be killed just as soon if you join up with him. Either that or be thrown in Azkaban. Is that something you really want to endure? The guilt of killing countless innocents, and that you have thrown away your entire life to do something so awful. But at least if you walk away from all of that, you may have some chance of getting what _you_ want out of life."

I looked over at him, and he was looking straight at me, with his grayish blue pools. They glistened. But they didn't glisten with hatred like I had thought they had. They glistened with respect, and happiness. "When did you get so smart?" he asked. "Don't answer that," he smiled. I laughed a little, knowing that he had finally seen the light. "Ok, I will try to tell father how I truly feel." He looked a little uneasy at the thought of speaking to his father. 

"What is the matter?" I asked. 

"It's just that it will be hard to try and convince him that this is what I want."

"Shouldn't he come around sooner or later, you're his only son," I tried pointing out. He shook his head. 

"You don't know my father like I do. He won't come around very easily. He never has. He has never understood what I really wanted, just what he wants. The only reason him and my mum had me was so he could produce an heir. That's all he cares about. That is why he has always taught me to show no emotions, no feelings for anyone. He would always cut me down, and not always with words…" he trailed off there. 

He looked away from me, and I could see the pain on his face, recalling countless memories. I figured it out before he could even mention it. His father abused him. It wasn't unnoticeable. He had said his father made him sleep in the cellar often. I didn't know what to do or say. I did the first thing that came to mind, and I did it without thinking. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could in a warm embrace. He didn't know what to do at first, but hugged me back. I pressed my face into his shoulder. I felt sorry for him, more than I should have. We just sat there in each others arms for a few minutes. I could tell that this is what he needed. I wondered how long it had been since he had been held like that by someone. All he needed was tender care, which was something I was good at. I had perfected my skills at the last two years, having to comfort Harry after Serius' passing. It felt odd having to comfort Malfoy in the same fashion, because I had never been this close to him before. I had never thought of Malfoy as a real person, who had feelings just as the rest of us do. He had never shown his feelings around me, and before this year, he could have walked off a cliff and I would not have lost a bit of sleep over it. But here he was, holding me in his arms like a real person. It's funny how people can have a whole other being underneath their dark and rigid exterior. 

We pulled away, and I looked at him. He didn't look so pained any more, and that made me happy. "Hermoine, you have no idea how much you have helped me this year, truly," Draco said. That was something I hadn't expected, out of Malfoy of the least. 

"Glad to help," I said. "You have made a big difference in me as well. I don't know how I would have gotten through this year with just Harry and Ron."

Draco smiled and stood up. "Well, I'm off to bed. See you tomorrow."

"Night," I said, retreating to my room. I fell back on my bed, thinking about what just happened. I couldn't believe I actually had an emotional, embracing conversation with Hogwarts' bad boy. It was just impossible. Well, I will surely not be able to mention any of this around anyone else. First of all, they would call me nutters, second of all, people would think we were getting close, a little too close. Oh well, let them think what they want. 


End file.
